Scripted

yes Studios is expanding its strategy of representing premium third-party content internationally with the acquisition of the global rights to Alibi, a seven-part short-form crime drama and scripted format from New Zealand. Produced by Plus6Four Entertainment for TVNZ, Alibi is a non-linear murder mystery set in the fictional New Zealand town of Awatahi, where 17-year-old Jodie Hunter is found dead.
The series centers on six main suspects, with each 15-minute episode presenting the events of the day Jodie died from the perspective of a different suspect. Each story reveals their version of events — their alibi.
The episodes can be viewed in any order, allowing audiences to compare the different accounts and piece together the mystery, as each version either moves them closer to the truth or takes them in another direction. The story culminates in the seventh and final episode, when all is revealed.

Alibi was created by Hannah Marshall (Settling, Ms. X), David de Lautour (Ms. X, Vince) and Gareth Williams. Marshall and de Lautour wrote the series, with de Lautour also directing. The ensemble cast features Madeleine Adams (Shortland Street, Dealbreakers), Joel Tobeck (Avatar: Fire and Ice, The Luminaries), Xavier Horan (Shortland Street, Westside) and Melanie Vallejo (All Her Fault, Winners & Losers).

“Alibi is an industry leading format that showcases New Zealand’s talent, both in front of and behind the camera” says the show’s creator and director de Lautour “We know Alibi holds the potential to translate perfectly to different locations all around the world.”
Sharon Levi, managing director of yes Studios, says: “We are delighted to have added Alibi to our slate. Not only is it a clever and engaging crime drama but its length and non-linear format make it incredibly versatile and allows us to offer something different to our international partners. For linear broadcasters, episodes can be joined together for a range of more traditional slots, while digital and VOD platforms could create a real buzz about the audience’s ability to watch episodes in any order they choose – and readily binge all seven of course. With its simple, yet compelling premise, Alibi has great potential as an anthology series and I’m also expecting significant interest in the format, with its inherent flexibility adding to its appeal for localised adaptations in the evolving media landscape.”